?

In this week’s lecture, we were briefed on the interview process.

We were told to ensure that our subject had something to say, and could say it well. However; beyond this, the rules of documentary get hazy.

There are many conflicting opinions regarding best documentary practice. For example, even within the lecture, although we were first told to brief our subject thoroughly prior to the interview, it was later said that giving them no information before the interview was also a useful technique. Ultimately, despite all of the technical tips and tricks that we were offered, for documentaries we were told these wise words of wisdom: believe in serendipity. 

serendipity |ˌsɛr(ə)nˈdɪpɪti|noun
the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way

This is what makes documentary film the most simultaneously exciting and terrifying film form. It’s impossible to say what you’re going to end up with; if what you set out to film will be what you end up filming, or even if any of it works at all. Granted, there are steps that you can take to plan, but as much as much as you try, it’s a world away from working with actors. These people are real, their experiences are real and you have to be sensitive to that. You have to be perceptive to their changes in emotion, understand and quickly work out how best to speak to them in order for them to share their experiences, stories, and themselves, in a way that is authentic, and not for the camera.

Below is an excerpt from an interview with one of my favourite documentary filmmakers, Sean Dunne, speaking about his use of off-camera interviews in his latest work Cam Girlz. It is an excellent example of ingenuity; adapting to your subject to ensure that they are comfortable, so that the best interview emerges.